Image: AI generated

According to reports, the Japan-made world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, which reached the space station in November, is now orbiting the Earth.

The satellite, which was deployed last month, is orbiting 400 kilometers above the planet. It reportedly reached the space station last November via a SpaceX Dragon capsule.

Weighing 900 grams, the satellite is made of Magnolia wood. LignoSat was developed by Kyoto University in Japan.

The satellite’s goal is to test the durability of wood in space’s extreme temperatures, which can fluctuate from -100°C to 100°C every 45 minutes.

While it’s still early days for LignoSat, the success of this satellite could open the door for future missions utilising wooden materials. These could potentially reduce costs, improve sustainability, and introduce new innovative approaches to space design.

Notably, The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has also on December 30, 2024, successfully launched the SpaDeX mission, achieving a historic space docking feat. 

The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission, lifted off aboard the PSLV-C60 rocket, from Sriharikota on December 30.

The SpaDeX mission is working to dock two satellites in space.